It has been an up-and-down first four weeks of the season for the Green Bay Packers. The fact that they’re now 2-2 is a clear testament to this fact.
This team has shown a lot of promise in its first month of the post-Aaron Rodgers era. At the same time, however, there’s also no denying that there’s a lot of room for improvement as well.
Is David Bakhtiari Done for the Season?
One man who has been missing in the lineup for the Packers is All-Pro tackle David Bakhtiari. The 32-year-old suited up for Green Bay’s season-opening win against their bitter rivals, the Chicago Bears, but he has since been inactive due to a lingering knee injury.
On Thursday, the team made the decision to place Bakhtiari on the injured reserve list, meaning that he will be out for the next four games at the very least. There is some fear, however, that he could be done for the season.
If the three-time Pro Bowler ends up missing the remainder of the campaign, then it’s very much possible that we’ve seen him play his last game for the Packers. He’s under contract through 2024, but the fact that he’s owed upwards of $40 million next season makes him a legitimate cut candidate for the Packers next summer.
Green Bay Packers Need Reinforcements
Be it in the short- or long-term, there’s no denying that Green Bay needs some reinforcement. There are other weak points on the roster, but the most glaring one has got to be at left tackle.
According to Bleacher Report’s NFL staff, the Packers could very well look in the direction of Cincinnati Bengals LT Jonah Williams to potentially fill this void:
“Williams asked for a trade after the Bengals signed Orlando Brown Jr. in free agency, presumptively due to his desire to stay at left tackle. Now that David Bakhtiari has had surgery and is expected to be out for the remainder of the year, Williams may finally get his wish.
While Rasheed Walker was solid in his first two outings filling in for Bakhtiari, Walker struggled against Detroit, especially in pass protection, where Pro Football Focus had him on the hook for two sacks. The Packers could use a proven veteran to protect Jordan Love’s blind side, and the four-year veteran would be an upgrade over the 2022 seventh-round pick.”
It remains to be seen what Cincinnati’s asking price is for Williams, or if they’re even considering letting him go in the first place. However, the fact that he demanded a trade this summer only means that his relationship with the organization has sustained some sort of damage. As such, it wouldn’t be improbable to think that he could be a viable trade target for the Packers.
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